I love God's creation and thank Him every time I see His Awesome nature that is around me. Whether it's a sunrise
/sunset, reflections in water, wildlife, a child,tiny wild flowers or a vast landscape... Capturing a glimpse of His beauty is one way I can praise Him. Evidence of God's presence is everywhere. One day all of His Creation will be restored to God's intended plan. What a Glorious Hope and Future we have in our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ to all who Believe. Revelations Chapter 21

Menu

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Update On The Swans #5

On May 19th , after working all day I came home and grabbed my camera and a packed dinner that my husband had made for me to eat on the way to the Bay. I have been observing these swans almost every day since the beginning of April. I didn’t want to miss the arrival of the new born babies , which are called Cygnets. I got a pleasant surprise on the day before my birthday. What a wonderful birthday present this was. :)

I couldn’t believe my eyes …… finally they had arrived and this was the first time they were visible to see. I am not sure when they were actually hatched as they were well hidden in the nest. They are very tiny at this point and not quite ready to leave the nest. You can’t tell in this photo but there are 8 baby swans.

I called this photo, “The Announcement”, because it was like she was announcing the arrival of her babies, to all who were in view. These swans were and still are the center of attention by many people who walk along the water front trail. Many people came with their cameras hoping to get a few good pictures of them, just like me.

Lets not forget the geese family who also played a major role in the drama which took place from day to day. I will try to add more pic’s of them also in the near future. I am behind in my updates. I have so many photos to sort through , plus I am still going down as often as I can to keep up with their progress.

Here is the proud parents with their new family.

I have much more to show you and hope to do another update soon.

I added some interesting facts below if you are interested. I have learned so much by observing these beautiful birds and have started also to do a little web searching to learn more. Here are a few things I learned. I hope it helps you understand the nature of the swans. Some of you may already know these facts. Well until next time, you all have a great week. Hope all is well.

Dianne (dsphotocats) :)

Mute Swan Facts

► Intelligence and memory: Swans are highly intelligent and remember who has been kind to them, or not.

► Behaviour: Swans respond in kind to gentle and considerate treatment. They don’t arbitrarily attack people, and will only bite if they feel threatened. They are more aggressive during the nesting season because they need to protect their nest, eggs and babies. Nesting season usually starts in March and lasts a few months until the cygnets can launch out on their own.

► Vision and hearing: Mute swans have sharp vision and hearing.

► Sounds: Although they don’t have a “call” they have a remarkable assortment of sounds to convey a broad range of emotions, from a gentle ‘bleat’ through a range of puppy-like barking notes, and a head-to-tail long snort sometimes combined with head-raising and feathers fluffed, to register delight.

► How to recognize a male from a female: Male and female look alike, but if you look carefully, you can tell one from the other:

1- Males are larger than females;

2- The knob at the base of the male's upper bill is larger than the female's knob. By the way, it’s this knob that distinguishes the mute swan from all others;

3- The neck of a male is thicker than the neck of a female.

► Mates for life: Swans usually mate for life, remaining together through the year, but “divorces” have been known, and if one of a pair dies, the survivor usually seeks out a new mate, and the pair remain devoted.

► Mating: Swans begin to breed between 3 and 4 years of age. It’s a special treat to see swan mates “displaying” during the mating season, gracefully touching bill-to-bill and breast-to-breast until a perfect heart shape is formed, or gently intertwining their necks.

► Eggs: They lay from 5 to 10 eggs that take from 35 to 42 days to hatch. The female does most of the egg incubation, but every now and then the male will replace her for a while so she can have a swim and a ‘bite to eat’ in the lagoon.

► Cygnets are usually pale gray with gray legs that turn black as they grow, but there is a European sub-species or variant known as the Polish Mute, where the cygnets are white, with pink legs and feet. This coloring is due to a recessive gene.

► Food: Swans eat aquatic vegetation and insects, even tiny fish and tadpoles. Because they can plunge their long neck well below the water’s surface, they’re not in competition with ducks and smaller waterfowl for food. They actually help the smaller birds when parts of plants they’re eating float to the surface.

► Size and weight: Mute swans weigh from 6.5 – 13 kg (14 – 30 pounds), are about 160 cm (5 feet) long and can have a wingspan up to 2.5 meters (8 feet).

► Neck: A mute swan’s neck has 23 vertebrae, more than any other bird.

► Feathers: A swan has some 25,000 feathers

► Lifetime: A swan in a protected environment might live as long as 30 years.

► Population: Although the North American Mute Swan population is now around 13,000, there are fewer than 1,000 in Canada, and these are divided between southern Ontario and coastal British Columbia (Source: Canadian Wildlife - Vol. 13, No. 4 - Page 22).

► A male swan is called a "cob"

► A female swan is called a "pen"

► A baby swan is called a "cygnet"

► A group of cygnets or eggs is called a "clutch"

► A group of swans in the wild is called a “herd” while those in captivity are called a “fleet”

No comments:

Post a Comment

Translate

Doing What I Love

Harmony With Nature

God's Grace

"There is nothing but God's grace. We walk upon it; we breath it; we live and die by it; it makes the nails and axles of the universe. written by: Robert Louis

The God Of Creation

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see -- kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20

About Me

I am a Christian,Wife,Mother, Grandmother,Daughter and an Amateur Photographer. I live in a city, but I am a Country Girl at heart. I love nature, and the great outdoors. Put a camera in my hands, and I am happy. I believe God has given me eyes to see the Beauty that surrounds me. If I really stop, look, and listen, then I see more clearly. I hope you will enjoy what I have to share, through my camera lens, and my heart.
Sincerely Dianne :)

Eyes To See

A few years ago I prayed that the Lord would give me an eye to see the things around me, really see and look beyond the obvious and not take things for granted that I see everyday. To be able to enjoy the simple things of life. I believe it is He who has given me the passion for photography, to capture a glimpse of His Creation and that has strengthened my Faith because , Not only am I in "Awe" of what I see but in that He cares enough for me to take the time to show me and often times it is as if He is walking by my side as I feel His Presence so real. God loves His Creation and I know He loves you and I. He is not a God far away but He is there at the mention of His Name. For those who earnestly seek Him, He will be found. I see miracles of life every day as I look at the things around me. How can anyone say, there is not "One Almighty God"?

Blessing to all.

Dianne :)

Sunset Silhouette

God's Gift

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

- Leo Buscaglia -

Peace Like A River

The Path ....

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions,but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meaness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's accept his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can with body and with spirit, in God's out-of-doors - these are little quideposts on the footpath of peace.

-Henry van Dyke

Looking For Dragonflies

Uniqueness Of A Butterfly

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.'So she did and she had a wonderful day.The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.'So she did and she had a grand day.The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in apony tail.'So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.The next day she woke up, looked in the mirrorand noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.'YAY!' she exclaimed. 'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Attitude is everything.Be kinder than necessary,for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.Live simply,Love generously,Care deeply,Speak kindly,and pray continually.Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Author Unknown

Sunset

Quote

Within each one of us is a vacuum, an emptiness that only God our Creator can fill. Nothing else can fill or satisfy that void. Spoken by Billy Graham."

Briana Marina 08/27/2012

2012_08

2012_09_09 Briana Marina

The Pineapple Story

Solitudes and Songs Of Faith

A New Year

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.